The Chronicles of Riddick : Retold
by Kimbrulee
Summary: It's been five years since Riddick left Jack and Imam on Helion Prime... It's been a year since his last runin with Toombs. Surely it's safe to stop by for a visit, right? Eventual KyraRiddick. Language, adult and sexual situations and violence. Fun. :D
1. Author's Hello

Hello!

Just a quick note on this story since it can't all be contained in the summary.

This story is set five years after Pitch Black.

Also, this story will include modified events from "The Chronicles of Riddick" to fit a slightly different storyline.

Finally, the first few chapters will be SHORT. We're talking 300 words or so. That's just to introduce different POVs and set the back story. I promise there will be longer chapters.

I have this story entirely mapped out, but I'm going to space new chapters a few days apart so I can get some reviews, and hopefully some suggestions as to where YOU want to see this story headed. :

Remember to R&R and give me lots of suggestions!

As always,

Yours truly,

Kimbrûlee'

3


	2. Introduction

Authors' Note:

Alas, I do not own Riddick, or any of the other characters or places herein. They're copyright to Universal or whoever owns it.

---------------------------------------------------

It had been five years since the Hunter-Gratzner incident.

It had been five long years since Riddick had left the Holy Man and Jack in New Mecca; the holy city of Helion Prime.

It had also been one year to the day since he had had a run-in with Toombs.

Toombs had tracked Riddick since the day he left Helion Prime, from world to world, across the vast expanses of the universe. Now, as far as Riddick knew, Toombs was stranded on a backwater planet with no skiff or crew to speak of.

Maybe Riddick would break his word to the Holy Man.

He could risk a one-day vacation to Helion Prime.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Riddick let a smirk rest on his lips as he drifted into the oblivion of cryosleep.

"I wonder if she's still pissed off about me leaving in the first place…"

His smirk widened into a near half-smile at the thought.


	3. Prologue

Authors' Note:

Alas, I do not own Riddick, or any of the other characters or places herein. They're copyright to Universal or whoever owns it.

---------------------------------------------------

_Five__ Years Before:_

"I'm not staying."

If looks could kill, Riddick would have died a thousand different deaths within the span of thirty seconds.

"I'm coming with you."

Riddick smirked. "No. You're staying right here in New Mecca."

"Pissed off" didn't describe a fraction of what Jack was feeling.

Jack glared daggers from behind Imam. She had known Riddick for several months, had come to look up to him as the older brother she never had, and now he was ditching them.

He had saved their lives several times. She had even saved his life once; and now he was leaving them in the middle of some religious city surrounded by barren sandy deserts.

Sure, Imam was glad to be here. It was New Mecca; the place he had been searching for before they crash landed on whatever hellish planet it was that harbored the night-creatures.

Imam glanced back at her, and then casually began walking away with Riddick. Jack glared after the two of them. There was no reason for her to follow them. Riddick would just send her back. Or wait until she was asleep. Either way, she wouldn't find out what was said until Imam chose to tell her.

Jack stalked back into Imam's newly acquired home, went straight to her room, and threw herself on the thick pallet on the floor. She wanted to cry. She hated Riddick for leaving. Right when things were getting better. Right when she felt like she had a real family.

She hated him.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Riddick left that night.

He never said goodbye.

When Jack awoke the next morning, she would also find out that he had no plans of ever returning to Helion Prime.


	4. Chapter 1  Holy Man

Authors' Note:

Alas, I do not own Riddick, or any of the other characters or places herein. They're copyright to Universal or whoever owns it.

---------------------------------------------------

FYI!!!

In CoR, Riddick uses a messy variation of the martial art "Kali". Kali is centered around straightforward, powerful attacks, and is commonly performed with bamboo sticks referred to as "Kali sticks".

:D Thought you guys might need to know.

----------------------------------------------------

Imam awoke to the smell of the strong herbal tea Kyra made for them in the mornings.

He smiled and got out of bed, flawlessly performing his morning prayer routine, and then heading for the washroom across the hall.

The smells from the downstairs kitchen became more varied as Imam washed and dressed. He could smell the oatmeal pancakes, the fresh fruit and the rich coffee.

Since her fifteenth birthday, Kyra had begun a morning routine: fix breakfast, go to school, and come home. Her fifteenth birthday was when she had finally come to terms with Riddick's leaving; when she changed her name to start a new life from the Jack that Riddick knew. In the three years before, she had refused to go to school, and had gone through several periods where she refused to speak or eat at all. Imam had been very worried about her health. He had even considered trying to find Riddick... even though Riddick had already made it clear that he had no intentions of ever returning. But, as was evident now, Kyra had matured and come to terms with things in her own way.

As Imam walked downstairs he wondered if spending her free time learning Kali was the proper way for Kyra to overcome her rage towards Riddick.


	5. Chapter 2  PseudoDaughter

Authors' Note:

Alas, I do not own Riddick, or any of the other characters or places herein. They're copyright to Universal or whoever owns it.

---------------------------------------------------

Kyra enjoyed playing the part of Imam's pseudo-daughter. While she would never confide completely in him, and would never accept his faith, she would always enjoy his company. Making his meals was just one of the many activities she had adopted. It occupied her time, and, more importantly, her thoughts. If she let her mind wander, it always wandered back to _him. _To Riddick.

For three years, Kyra had let misery take hold. She let herself believe that she couldn't go on without Riddick to guide her.

It had been quite a misconception on her part.

Shortly before her fifteenth birthday she realized that she damn well COULD lead a life without Riddick, and that she would damn well do so. She knew why he left, and she understood why he didn't allow her to go with him, but that didn't change the fact that he was a complete asshole about it. He could have explained it to her… could have saved her the misery, and could have saved Imam the worry.

Kyra shook her head as she placed Imam's pancakes before him on the table. Those thoughts were why she tried to occupy her time. She knew she couldn't forget Riddick, so she simply tried to keep her mind busy with other things.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Imam gave her a warm smile as she sat across from him.

Kyra returned the smile and pointed to a small sheet of folded paper next to his mug of tea. "There's the list I made up, if you're still going to the market today."

Imam unfolded the paper and read through it. "I'm still going… although I'll have to find help to get all of this back here. There's enough to feed a small army!"

Kyra rolled her eyes. "That's what you say every week…"

Imam laughed and tucked the paper into his pocket. "It will all be here when you get home."

Kyra stood and put her empty plate and mug in the sink, and picked up the canvas messenger bag she used for school. "I may be home a little late… There's usually a wait at the center on Fridays…"

Imam nodded. "That's fine. There's no rush."

And with a quick daughterly hug, Kyra was out the door and on her way to school.


	6. Chapter 3  Visitor

Authors' Note:

Alas, I do not own Riddick, or any of the other characters or places herein. They're copyright to Universal or whoever owns it.

---------------------------------------------------

Imam heard the door close, and stood to put his dishes away. He smiled when he saw the pile of used cookware in the sink.

"I might as well wash these… Kyra will be tired when she gets home. Besides, I'll need them to make dinner later." Imam pushed up the sleeves of his robes and dove into the soiled dishes, eager to finish and get to the market before the noon rush.

Between the clatter of dishes and silverware, Imam heard the door open. He assumed it was Kyra; she frequently left something for school at home.

He turned, with soap suds up to his elbows, and saw his door standing open. No Kyra… or anyone else, for that matter. Imam sighed deeply and glanced up the stairs. There was no need for her to dart upstairs that quickly... on such steep stairs it was dangerous.

A warm gust of air brought his attention back to the open door. He closed it and glared silently down at the dust that had blown in. He had just swept those rugs, too.

"I've told her a hundred times if I've told her once," murmured Imam. "to close the door behind her…"

"What was that, Holy Man?"

Imam whirled around and stared. "Riddick."

The man leaning against his kitchen counter smirked widely. "Good to know one of you still remembers me."

Imam was at a complete loss. "What are you doing here?" Five years ago, this man was adamant about never making contact with them again… Why the sudden change?

Riddick shrugged. "Thought I might stop by. That a problem?"

Imam couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What about those that are hunting you? You said you would keep Kyra safe by-"

"Kyra?" Riddick's eyes narrowed a fraction.

Imam nodded. "Yes. Kyra. She is not the same small child you left with me five years ago. And you promised to keep her safe by not bringing trouble here." There was an edge to Imam's voice. He had come to care for Kyra as his own daughter, and he did NOT appreciate Riddick risking her safety like this.

Riddick smirked. "I didn't think she would be, and I'm not bringing trouble. "Trouble" is stranded on a planet a galaxy away with the bodies of his last crew."

Imam sighed and walked back over to the sink. He'd have dinner for three to fix, and extra things to get at the market. He might as well get the dishes done.

"So where is Jack? She's not upstairs."

Imam used a cloth to dry the plates, and began stacking them in the cabinet next to Riddick.

"_Kyra_ is in school. Like all young women her age should be."

If Riddick was surprised by the news, he hid it well. "School?" He snorted. _She doesn't need to waste her time there, _Riddick thought_. She could teach the teacher's classes better than they could._

Imam finished putting away the dishes and turned to Riddick. "I have to go to the market. I hope you plan on staying out of sight."

Riddick raised an eyebrow around his goggles. "I'm not stupid. And I don't suggest you speak to me like I am."

Imam nodded curtly and went upstairs to gather his things to leave.

Riddick left the kitchen for the comfort of the living room. He leaned back on the plush couch and closed his eyes. _What __i__s it with these people? If __I don't__ kill them, they think they're special or something. Like they can speak to __me __however they want without the risk of a shiv at their throat…_

He watched Imam leave. No gesture of a goodbye from the Holy Man.

Riddick smirked and lay across the couch. He knew it irked Imam that he had shown up, but it didn't bother him.

It was true, what he had told Imam five years ago. If mercs found him with the two of them, they would all three be taken to a slam. Imam would have been bought cheaply as bait for some creature or another, and Jack would have been sold to whatever guard had the highest bid.

Riddick knew it was dangerous for him to be here. It could give all three of them away. But the small part of him that agreed to rejoin humanity also wanted to see how the two of them were doing without him.

His thoughts drifted back to Jack. Or _Kyra_ as she called herself now. Riddick's smirk grew a bit. Until _he_ thought she wasn't the little girl she was before, he would continue to call her Jack. He wondered what she looked like now; and whether or not she would take kindly to his visit.

The muscular Furyan exhaled slowly. Cryosleep played havoc with his sleeping patterns. He could worry about Jack when the time came… Until then, a nap on the Holy Man's couch sounded just fine to him.


	7. Chapter 4  Snap

Authors' Note:

I BOUGHT THE RIGHTS TO RIDDICK!!!

Ha. Nope. Just kidding.

I do not own Riddick, or any of the other characters or places herein. They're copyright to Universal or whoever owns it.

---------------------------------------------------

Imam had finished with his purchases and was on his way home with two young boys in tow; both loaded down with various goods.

He neatly side-stepped a group of chatting women, ignoring their looks of indignity as he bustled past. Riddick had taken full hold of the man's thoughts.

_That man never brings anything good with him… __He comes here with no regard for our safety… After he promised he would keep her safe. _

Imam came to a complete stop outside his door. _Her. That's why he's here._

Imam ushered the two boys into the house and showed them where to put away both the dry and the frozen goods. He then turned his attention to finding Riddick. He knew where he would be…

---------------------------------------------------

Riddick vaguely acknowledged that Imam had arrived home, and continued to sift through Kyra's dresser. He'd spent the last hour combing through her belongings.

_There._

He finally found them, shoved to the back of the bottom drawer. He held them delicately, almost tenderly as he examined the yellow swimming goggles.

_If she's not the same little girl, I'd like to hear her bullshit excuse for keeping these…_

Riddick was putting the goggles back when he saw a glint in the corner of the drawer. Narrowing his eyes, he picked up the small object to examine it.

_Why the hell would she keep this?_

Riddick turned the small silver object over in his palm. It was small, maybe a half inch in diameter. It looked like a button or…

Riddick looked down at his pants and nearly laughed. It was the top part of a snap-closure. As a matter of fact, it was the top part of the snap-closure from his left pocket. There were a dozen different times it could have been pulled off, but that didn't matter. He was more intrigued with why Kyra would have kept it this long.

"Riddick?"

_Damn. _Riddick tossed the snap back into the drawer and closed it.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Imam knocked on the door. Heaven knows what the man was doing in Kyra's room, but Imam knew better than to barge in on Riddick. He wasn't about to push his luck with an easily angered convict, regardless of whether he had saved his life.

The door opened, and Riddick leaned against the door frame. "What?"

Riddick's figure took up the majority of the doorway, but what little of the room he could see looked the same as it had two days ago. At least Riddick had put away whatever he had been rooting through…

Riddick's eyes narrowed. "If you're wanting me to help you put away groceries, you can forget it."

Imam shook his head. "No. I want to know why you're here. Why you're _really_ here."

"Why? Worried that I'm here to use the two of you as decoys, or that I'm going to kidnap Jack?"

Riddick pushed his goggles up. The dim lighting of Imam's house suited his eyes perfectly.

Imam took a step back at the sight of Riddick's silver eyes. It had been a long time since he'd seen those eyes, and none of the memories of them were that pleasant.

Imam swallowed. "I have come to care for Kyra as my own daughter."

Riddick looked mildly amused at his apprehension. "So you think I'm here to kill her or fuck her?"

Imam opened his mouth to reply when he felt a slight tug at the back of his robes. He turned to see the two boys from the market staring warily at Riddick.

"We- we finished putting away your goods, sir."

Imam smiled and nodded. "Of course, of course…" He dug into his pocket and pulled out two coins, giving one to each child. He ruffled the hair of the older boy. "I thank you for your help. Tell your mothers I thank them as well."

The boys nodded and fled down the stairs and out the door without a backward glance.

Imam turned back to face a grinning Riddick.

"Cute kids."

Imam ignored him. "I do not know why you are here, but do not take me lightly when I say that I would do anything to protect Kyra."

Riddick's smile dwindled to a smirk. "I'm glad you trust me." With that, he stepped back into Kyra's room and shut the door.

Imam rolled his eyes, exasperated, and went back downstairs to the kitchen. Kyra would be out of school and on her way to the training center to work with her Kali instructor.

_And she'll have quite the surprise waiting for her here…_ Imam snorted. _That_ was the understatement of the decade… He wasn't sure what she would do when she learned of Riddick's presence. He almost hoped Riddick would leave before she got home.

It wasn't that he didn't like Riddick. He had a great respect for the man. But Kyra had spent the last four years trying to forget Riddick's existence… He knew things would not go well when she saw him. Imam knew Kyra was a strong girl. He didn't doubt that she could handle it, but whether she would handle it violently was his concern.

--------------------------------------------------

Riddick sat down heavily on Kyra's bed.

_God damn. Since when does she smell so good...?_

The Furyan removed his goggles and set them on her bedside table. He leaned close to her pillows and inhaled deeply. He could smell a mixture of sweat, perfume, and between the distractions of both scents, _Her._

Jack had smelled something like this before, but now her scent had aged. Gained a new element. It was more complex now.

Riddick decided he liked it.


	8. Chapter 5  Toombs

Firstly, I want to thank everyone that has submitted a review!

TotallyRiddickObsessed – As you can tell, my chapters are getting longer. They'll get progressively longer as we go along. Promised. If you think Riddick's blunt now, wait 'til you hear him in the next few chapters. ;D

NotAfraidToLive - Looks like you won't have to wait long for the next few chapters. I'm going to be steadily updating with at least one chapter a day, maybe two. Whatever school will allow me to do. :

Ri – You're more than correct. Riddick is going to turn Imam's and Kyra's worlds upside down and shake them. Kinda like a snow globe. :D

Death's Obsession – Thanks so much for your critique. I fixed the error in Chapter 3, and I'll keep my mistake in mind when writing other chapters. I dislike confusing dialogue, and I'll do everything in my power to avoid it. You'll have to read along to see where it's going. I think you'll like it though. :

October17 – You kept your review short and sweet. Right to the point. I think you speak for everyone who reviewed when you say that you can't wait for the next chapter. I'm glad you enjoy it!

THANKS AGAIN TO ALL WHO REVIEW!

As I'm writing this, my story has 500 hits! It's only been up for four days! I'm glad it's such a success.

Thanks again to everyone, and please remember that I will gladly accept suggestions as to where you want this story to go!

------

Author's Note:

Alas, I do not own Riddick or any of the other characters or places herein.

------

"GET YOUR FUCKIN' ASSES IN HERE!"

Toombs glared at the three men standing outside the beat-up skiff. _If they don't shift their sorry asses, I'll leave them here. I can pick up a crew on Helion 5 anyway._

The tallest of the three men stepped onto the skiff. "If it weren't for the damn 1.5 mil, I wouldn't risk my ass on this piece of aluminum."

Toombs snorted. "This piece of aluminum has made it through three deep runs and a Riddick-induced crash landing. It'll survive 'til we get to Helion Prime. I'm sure we can find something to trade it in for there."

The two smaller men looked at one another. They both knew that the vessel was held together with an intertwining series of weak welds.

The planet they had crash landed on was sparsely inhabited. It had taken them six months to fix their downed skiff. It was the second time they had welded the junk heap back together; the first time being when Riddick had downed them a mile from Butcher Bay.

Riddick had stolen a tiny two-seater skiff and managed to get off-world long before their ship had been repaired.

The two men knew that the pay day would be well worth it…

"Tags! Are you coming or not? " Toombs wasn't about to waste any more time on them.

Both men sighed and boarded the ship. The door slammed shut behind them. No going back now…

Toombs smiled. "Fasten your seatbelts ladies. We're only a few days from a payday…"

-------------------------------------------

Imam had settled for a simple lamb and vegetable dinner. He had a feeling that the three of them would eat very little.

He began placing dishes on the table. He idly wondered how much of the food might end up on the floor if Kyra dove across the table at Riddick.

------------------------------------------

Kyra was grinning smugly. She'd had a good day at school, and an even better training session.

With her canvas bag swung behind her, she made her way toward Imam's house. She could almost smell dinner… She would eat and then take a nice long bath. Maybe she would even use some of the bubble bath that Imam had gotten for her.

She hummed tunelessly as she neared home.

_Nothing_ could spoil her good mood.


	9. Chapter 6  Confrontation

Authors Note:

I don't own Riddick, Kyra, Imam, or any of the other characters or places herein.

I'm also not responsible for any injuries they may receive. :

-------------------------------------------

Imam could hear Riddick coming downstairs.

He could also hear Kyra coming up the front steps.

He took a slow, deep breath. _Here we go…_

-------------------------------------------

Riddick knew Kyra was on the other side of the door. He had timed his entrance just right…

He reached the bottom of the stairs just as the door handle turned. Riddick grabbed the door handle and pulled the door open.

------------------------------------------

Kyra felt the door handle jerked out of her hand. She looked up, annoyed, to see a very smug Riddick holding the door. A very smug Riddick with a ridiculous smirk plastered across his face.

A very smug Riddick… here. At her house. In New Mecca.

She felt a bit lightheaded… she was speechless. _What is he doing here?_

-------------------------------------------

Riddick couldn't help it. He grinned.

Kyra looked quite perplexed to find him standing in her doorway.

_The Holy Man was right. She isn't the same little girl… She looks nothing like the Jack I left – _

Riddick's thoughts were abruptly interrupted as Kyra swung her book-laden schoolbag at his face.

------------------------------------------

Nothing could have spoiled her mood.

Except _him._

She swung her schoolbag without even thinking, aiming for the part of him that infuriated her most. Which, for now, was that mocking smirk of his.

------------------------------------------

Riddick took a step back, deftly reaching out and snagging the strap of the bag.

He yanked on the strap, pulling Kyra face to face with him.

"That's hardly any way to welcome a guest."

Kyra struggled against him, glaring. "Fuck off, Riddick."

Riddick smirked again, releasing the strap. He stood back, leaving the doorway open for her.

"Dinner's ready."

Kyra stalked past him and stormed upstairs.

-------------------------------------------

Riddick watched her go. He shut the door and walked into the kitchen.

Imam had his back to him, but he knew the man would have something to say.

The Furyan sat at the table and crossed his arms, waiting to be berated by the Holy Man.

He didn't have to wait long.

"You didn't need to do that."

Riddick snorted.

Imam continued. "She spent three years waiting for you to come back. She's just come to terms with you _not_ returning."

Riddick leaned back in the chair. "So it would have been better for me to have brought flowers and a card?"

Imam shook his head and placed a plate in front of the Furyan. "You should talk to her."

With that, the Holy Man left Riddick as he went to say his evening prayer.

-----------------------------------------

Kyra threw her canvas bag across her room and turned to go back downstairs, ready to give Riddick a real piece of her mind.

Something on her nightstand caught her eye. She walked over and picked up the dark pair of goggles.

_"How the hell do I get eyes like that?"_

_"Gotta kill a few people."_

_"Okay, I can do it."_

_"Then you have to get sent to a slam. One where they tell you you'll never see daylight again. You dig up a doctor, and you pay him 20 menthol Kools to do a surgical shine job on your eyeballs."_

_"So you can see who's sneaking up on you in the dark."_

_"Exactly."_

----------------------------------------

Riddick hadn't touched the food. He could hear Kyra moving around her room upstairs.

_Debating whether or not to come back down. _He smirked. He'd left his goggles beside her bed intentionally. She'd either toss them out the window or bring them down. Either way, he'd get them back, and either way, he'd know how long he wanted to stay.

----------------------------------------

Imam came back into the kitchen a half hour later to find Riddick sitting in the same position, food untouched.

"There is an empty room down the hall if you'd like it. There's a larger one upstairs if you want more space."

Imam wasn't surprised when Riddick didn't acknowledge the offer. The holy man stood a moment in the doorway, studying the Furyan. He shook his head slowly and went upstairs to bed.

---------------------------------------

Kyra sat in the darkness of her room for several hours, memories flooding her thoughts.

She stood, the goggles held tight in her hand, and crept to the top of the stairs.

She knew Imam would have offered Riddick a room, but she knew he hadn't come upstairs… she would have heard him.

She slowly made her way down the stairs.

_He wouldn't have taken the room. He's probably still in the kitchen._

Kyra reached the bottom of the stairs. It was dark in the house, dark enough that she wouldn't be able to see Riddick until he found her. She listened intently for a moment, and then stepped into the kitchen doorway.

Kyra's eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness. Riddick wasn't there.

"I think you have something of mine…"

Riddick's gravelly voice came from directly behind her. She could feel the heat of his body behind her. She idly wondered how close to her he really was.

Kyra lifted the goggles, and felt them removed from her grasp. She heard Riddick turn to leave and she turned to face him.

"What are you doing here?"

---------------------------------------

Riddick expected the question to be posed, but he really didn't have an answer. He continued down the hallway, pausing outside the room Imam had offered him. He glanced back at her. She was still standing at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed, fully expecting an answer from him.

"Goodnight, Jack."

He could feel her glare on the back of his neck as he walked into the room and closed the door.


	10. Chapter 7  Bullet Holes

Author's note:

Thanks again to everyone who reviewed!

**PLEASE READ THIS NOTICE!**

TotallyRiddickObsessed pointed out that Imam, Kyra and Riddick himself have all referred to Riddick as a Furyan. I had planned to bring the reason for that out in a later chapter, but it simply won't flow with the storyline. I think it would be easier for me to just tell you how they know.

While on her ship (During CoR:Dark Fury), Chillingsworth reveals to Riddick that he's Furyan while walking him through her statue room, and gives him scant details on the Necromongers. Before Jack kills her, she makes a comment about him being Furyan in front of Imam and Jack. They don't know about his tie to the Necromongers or anything. Just that Furya is his home planet.

That clear things up for anyone? I hope so. I'll elaborate on it during a later chapter, but this saves me from having to go totally off topic for a whole chapter to clear things up. :

-----------------------------------------

Kyra was awake long before sunrise. She had slept very little after her run-in with Riddick. What little sleep she had gotten had been plagued with nightmares of the creatures from the eclipsed planet; nightmares that she hadn't had since she was thirteen.

She wanted to know why Riddick had come back. She let herself believe that it might be because he had realized what a great team they could make.

Five years ago that had been her dream. She had wanted to explore the universe with Riddick; to retaliate against the mercs that would always follow him.

Now, at seventeen, the dream seemed to be just that – a dream. Now she was looking at finishing school and beginning a life of her own.

Riddick's appearance brought back her past, and had her rethinking her future. How was he going to affect everything she was working towards? How long was he staying? Question after question was posed in her mind; all unanswered.

She hoped morning would shed some light on her situation.

-----------------------------------------

Toombs had tracked Riddick's little ship through the Helion system to Helion Prime. He'd zeroed in on its location several miles outside of New Mecca, and was now engaging the auto pilot to land. He could do it himself, but he knew one wrong move entering atmosphere could end nastily due to their fragile craft.

It wouldn't be too hard to find Riddick. Either Toombs would find Riddick or Riddick would find him. He had three hard-ass bounty hunters at his back and plenty of fire power.

Riddick might be smart, but he wasn't bullet proof. Toombs had proven that.

-------------------------

_One year earlier_

_-------------------------_

Toombs cautiously peeked over the mound of rocks and scanned the sunburned wasteland around him.

_There._

He could see Riddick crouched behind a small storage shed, his leg mangled from the crash.

Toombs drew his pistol and took careful aim. He would have loved to have taken Riddick alive, but there was no way he was going to chance that big guy picking off him and his crew one by one.

"Nighty night, Riddick." The gunshot echoed through the vast canyon of stone around him.

He saw Riddick spring to his feet, hand gripping his right shoulder.

"Shit." He'd missed.

--------------------------

Riddick growled and scanned the horizon. He couldn't see anything. It was too damn bright, even behind his goggles.

He knew there was a small skiff outside the canyon. He'd hoped to be able to take care of Toombs and his crew first, but in the brightness of midday there was no way he could do it. Especially not with a bad leg _and_ a bad arm. He made his way around the shed and toward the back of the canyon, silently hoping he could get to the skiff before Toombs got smart enough to realize that Riddick was blind in the daylight.

He had seen the sun reflect off of Toombs' pistol and it had given him enough time to move, but not enough time to get out of the way. He could feel the blood pulsing out of his shoulder, and the grinding of bone on metal told him the bullet was still lodged in there. He'd have to get that taken care of before he could pilot the skiff.

Riddick finally made his way to the top of the ridge of the canyon. He could see the skiff docked a few hundred yards away. He looked down into the canyon to see Toombs slowly making his way toward the shed.

Riddick smirked. He'd have plenty of time to dig the bullet out and get off the planet before Toombs even realized he was gone.

He made his way to the skiff and dug through its First Aid supplies. Removing a pair of tweezers, some gauze and a bandage, he sat in the floor of the skiff. He examined his leg first; it wasn't too bad, just a big gash from some glass. It would heal without stitches. Next, he fingered the edge of the bullet wound. It felt clean enough… but that didn't change the fact that there was still a chunk of steel lodged in his shoulder. He picked up the tweezers and slowly began probing the wound. He hissed as he closed the tweezers on the bullet and began trying to ease it free of his flesh.

With a sucking noise, the bullet was pulled from the wound. He dropped the tweezers and the bullet and bandaged his shoulder.

Riddick stood, kicking the bullet out the open door of the skiff, and took his seat at the front of the craft.

Within five minutes he was leaving the atmosphere of the planet.

At about the same time, Toombs found the blood stained bullet and the dock of the missing skiff.

----------------------------------------

Toombs smiled to himself. He had kept that bullet. He had it in his pocket now, as a matter of fact.

He would take Riddick alive this time. But he'd be taking him to the one place that no one ever broke out of. And even if they did, it didn't help.

On Crematoria, if the day didn't kill you, the night would.


	11. Chapter 8  Saturday

Authors Note:

No, I still don't own Riddick or any of the other characters/places/etc.

But I'm saving up to buy it. :

I also get the award for using the most hyphenated words in a paragraph. See paragraph three for proof. XD

----------------------------------------------

Kyra was awakened by the smell of breakfast. She got out of bed slowly, stretching and yawning. Normally she would be ecstatic that it was Saturday, but today it just meant spending the whole awkward day with Riddick. Imam attended weekly prayer at the mosque on Saturdays… which left her alone with Riddick.

She didn't relish the thought of being alone in the same house with him, but she didn't have anywhere else to go. Everything was closed on Saturday, even the market.

She showered and dressed, pulling her towel-dried hair back into a ponytail. Before leaving the washroom, she looked herself up and down in the mirror and smiled. Her earth-toned attire complimented her skin tone well. Between the low-slung cargo pants and the curve-hugging tee there was a hint of her midriff. The dark green top made her curves appear much more exaggerated.

Kyra gave herself a mental pat on the back. She could look sexy without even trying.

------------------------------------------

Riddick had been in the kitchen with Imam for nearly an hour before Kyra came downstairs. Imam had already gone over how long he would be gone, and had clearly specified that Riddick was not to try _anything_ with Kyra while he was gone, whether it was sexual or not.

Riddick had neatly pointed out that he'd been imprisoned for murder, not rape. That had shut the Holy Man up for a good twenty minutes. Imam really was acting like a paranoid father.

Riddick barely glanced at Kyra as she came in the kitchen, but in that small glimpse he'd taken in every detail.

He saw the amount of muscle tone she possessed, she'd clearly been training. He saw her newly acquired curves, considering that the shirt she was wearing didn't leave much to the imagination. He had seen the way her hips swayed as she passed, and he had seen her flesh between her tee and her pants.

_Imam has a reason to be worried. Especially if she leaves the house dressed like_ that_ everyday._

Riddick took another sip of the herbal tea Imam had offered him. Today was going to be a long day.

-----------------------------------------

Author:

Yes. I know it's short. I apologize a billion times over, but I ended up working late tonight. I wanted to get something up though. I promise a much longer chapter by Thursday. It's taking a while to write up Chapter 9… but I promise you guys will like it.


	12. Chapter 9  Cryo

Author's note:

Nope. Still don't own them. I've got $32 though.

---------------------------------------

Riddick and Kyra sat at opposite ends of the table. Both sipped at their tea, doing their best to ignore each other. Imam ate his breakfast slowly, watching the two of them.

_When I leave, complete chaos or complete calm will settle. _Imam had given honest thought to skipping prayer today. The reason he decided to go was because he thought that privacy might put an end to some of the animosity between Riddick and Kyra.

Imam finished his breakfast. He gave Kyra a quick hug and left for the mosque.

He really, really hoped this would solve some things.

----------------------------------

As soon as the front door was shut, Kyra brought her gaze to Riddick.

"You didn't give me an answer, Riddick."

The Furyan glanced up from his tea.

"I wanted to see if you had changed."

Kyra's gaze hardened. "Changed?"

Riddick nodded.

The girl's gaze became a full-fledged glare. "So now that you know I'm not your little Jackie anymore what are you going to do? Leave for another five years, and then drop in to see if I've gained any weight?" Kyra stood and stalked out of the kitchen. She couldn't believe she'd hoped for anything more from Riddick.

-------------------------------

Riddick watched her go. He knew of her dream to accompany him through the universe. He'd considered it on several occasions, but he wasn't comfortable putting her in that much danger. She was the first person that Riddick had cared about that hadn't been killed a few days later. He wanted her kept as far from danger as possible.

A crash upstairs brought Riddick to his feet. He left the kitchen and started up the stairs.

"Jack?"

There was no answer.

Riddick stopped outside Kyra's door and listened.

It was silent.

Riddick quietly tried the door handle. It was unlocked. The door swung open noiselessly.

The Furyan stepped into the room, immediately confronted with the business end of Toomb's rifle. He growled. They must have come through the window… but where was Kyra?

Riddick slowly brought his hands up. Two men stepped out of the bathroom with rifles trained on the convict.

Riddick could see Kyra bound and unconscious in the floor of the bathroom behind the men. He smirked.

"Four man crew for me? Insulting, Toombs."

Toombs sneered. "There's only three of us standing here, big guy."

"But your fourth is out rounding up a new ship. There's no way you planned on getting all five of us off planet on that dingy piece of shit skiff of yours is there?"

Toombs grinned and nodded to Kyra. "Six, smartass. All six of us."

Riddick's face went blank. He couldn't fight his way out of three rifles at such close range. He'd just have to play along… for now at least.

"Good thing I recognized that religious friend of yours. Otherwise I would I might have never found you in this damned city." Toombs nodded to one of the men.

Riddick could hear the man behind him. He assumed the man was checking him for weapons, but the feeling of a needle sinking into his arm proved him wrong.

The Furyan turned, reaching for the knife in his pocket when he felt his knees buckle.

Riddick lost consciousness before he hit the ground.

--------------------------------------------

Toombs took his seat at the front of his newly acquired skiff. An upgraded C-12 Cutter-skiff, compliments of the New Mecca military. He ran his hands over the knobs and buttons decorating the various control panels.

"Hey boss. Is it safe to put them in lockers like this?"

Toombs turned to look at Tags, the tall, lanky man that had spoken. "Just put them in there. The drugs are going to wear off any minute. We lock them in, monitor their vitals, and as soon as their breathing speeds up, we knock them both into cryo. I get us on course, and we're on Crematoria in no time."

Tags and the two other men heaved Riddick into the confines of a cryolocker, bolting and sealing the door. The three men then turned to the unconscious Kyra, locking her into a smaller cryolocker next to Riddick's.

Toombs already had the engines warmed and the first leg of the course plotted when Tags and the other two men strapped themselves into seats behind him.

Toombs was happier than he had been in several years. He'd seen the scar on Riddick's shoulder as Tags and the others were dragging him out of the house. It didn't matter to him that he was bringing the universe's most dangerous murderer to justice. He had his own personal vendetta against Riddick, and he'd be glad to pick up the 1.5 million credits along the way.

The cutter swooped up and over New Mecca, leaving Helion Prime behind as it began its journey to Crematoria.

-------------------------------------------

The sound of blood pulsing in his ears was deafening.

Riddick was regaining consciousness slowly. He could feel the chains around his wrists and ankles. The metallic taste of the steel bit in his mouth reminded him of blood. One of the crew must have blindfolded him. All of his senses were deadened by the drug.

Riddick heard the hissing noise as the cryogasses were pumped into the locker.

_Great. From one drug induced sleep to another._

Riddick's eyes closed again as he drifted into cryosleep.

------------------------------------------

Kyra began regaining consciousness an hour or so after Riddick had been in cryosleep.

Unlike Riddick, she was deemed harmless. She'd been shackled, but they hadn't bothered with a bit or blindfold. She wasn't a murderous convict.

Kyra's eyes fluttered open. It only took her a moment to realize where she was. She stretched slowly and waited for her head to clear. She lifted her shackled hands and smashed them against the front of the locker, hoping to shatter the glass there.

"Shit." She hadn't even nicked the surface of the glass, but the dull thump had attracted the attention of one of the crew members. He grinned in at her.

-------------------------------------------

"Hey boss. The girl's awake."

Toombs didn't look up from the chart he was examining. "Flush her locker, then."

Scott grinned. "Can't I have some fun with her first?"

Toombs smirked, but didn't turn to look at him. "Do what you want with her, but get her ass back in that locker in an hour."

Scott pushed the release button on the locker.

------------------------------------------

Kyra felt herself falling forward out of the locker. She tucked in on herself and rolled forward, springing to her feet and facing the man who had released her.

The man advanced on her, pistol drawn.

"Come on then… This won't take long."

Kyra glared as the man circled behind her, pressing the barrel of the pistol into her back.

She let herself be herded down a hall and into a dimly lit storage room.

She heard the door slide shut behind them.

-----------------------------------------

Scott had seen girls like this. They were captured and then they gave up hope. They were so easy to manipulate. This one wouldn't be any trouble at all, and she was pretty too.

He grabbed the girls shoulder and turned her around.

"We can do this the easy way," he nodded to her shackles. "or we can do it the hard way." Scott held up the pistol.

The girl was looking at her feet. She extended her arms, holding out her shackled wrists.

Scott grinned and reached for his key.

--------------------------------------

Kyra was looking at the knife that the man had at his hip.

She heard the jingle of his keys, felt the key turn in her shackles, felt the shackles fall free of her wrists.

Before the shackles had hit the floor Kyra had grabbed the knife and slit the man's throat. He dropped to the floor, a pool of crimson growing around him. Kyra picked up pistol, tucking the knife into her belt. She kneeled next to the body and reached into the man's pockets. She pricked her finger on a small object and jerked her hand out, examining the drop of blood that had been drawn. She wiped the blood on the man's shirt and explored his pocket more carefully. She drew out a small, thin razor blade. She examined the blade. It was a dark color, slightly curved, with a blunt side. It was only a couple inches long.

Kyra tucked the blade into her pocket and stood.

-----------------------------------------

Toombs and Tags were waiting in the hall outside the door. Toombs doubted they would be greeted by Scott. He knew how dangerous the girl was, and 5 mil was much more appealing than 3,750,000.

Sure enough, the door slid open to reveal Kyra with Scott's pistol trained on him.

The butt of Tags' rifle smashed into the back of her head just as she squeezed off the first round.

Her shot missed Toombs by only millimeters. She crumpled to the floor, once again unconscious.

Toombs grinned across at Tags. "Three way split."

He hoisted his rifle over his shoulder and went back to set them on course.

---------------------------------------------

Tags carried Kyra back to her cryolocker, removing the knife from her belt and pocketing the dropped pistol.

He didn't like the run to Crematoria. It was short, but the stay there was always unbearable. He watched the cryogasses fill the locker and glanced at the screen showing her vitals. He couldn't wait to get the bounty on those two and get the hell away from Crematoria. There were all kinds of rumors surrounding the place nowadays.


	13. Chapter 10  Into the Basement

Author's Note:

I'm up to $61, but I still don't own the rights to Riddick, Kyra, CoR or anything else that goes along with them.

------------------------------------

Riddick was jostled awake as the cutter entered the atmosphere of Crematoria. He could hear the blaring alarms, but could only see brief flashes of light around the blindfold.

_Crematoria. Never been this far out before. At least not in this area. _

He could hear a dull thumping to his right.

_Kyra. _

_------------------------------------_

Tags swiveled around to look at the two cryolockers.

He smirked. The girl was trying to kick the front out of the locker, while the only clue that Riddick wasn't unconscious was the way that he slowly tilted his head, trying to hear over the blaring alarms.

"We're 70g and closing…"

Tags turned his chair back around to his portion of the console and watched the surface of Crematoria race towards them.

At 10,000 feet, the craft began angling with the curvature of the land. At 2,000 feet, they were parallel to the ground. At 1,000 feet, the craft began a sharp descent toward the hangar, still a distance away.

Tags could see Toombs checking the gauges and the descent speed. He had his hand over a large red button, waiting until they were close enough to the hangar to press it.

Suddenly the cockpit was filled with a searing light. Tags could see the sun rising above the mountains. They were still a half-kilometer from the hangar.

"Shit!" Toombs was trying to shield himself from the brightness and the heat with an upraised arm. He could hardly see the hangar over the glare of the sunlight.

The ship passed under the shadow of a large rock, giving the two men a brief glimpse of the hangar.

Tags saw it first. "Hit it! Now!"

Toombs slammed his fist down on the button.

The ship leveled out as the "party poppers" slowed its descent. Tags could see the hangar; it's doors open and waiting for them.

_We aren't going to slow down fast enough… _Tags leaned back in his seat to brace himself.

The craft slammed into the back wall of the hangar, sending both Kyra and Riddick crashing against the front of the lockers.

Toombs cursed, holding his neck and looking at the red hot wing of the cutter out his window.

"That's one hell of a sunrise."

--------------------------------------------

Kyra slumped back into the confined space. She was ready to get out of there. She hoped Riddick had some plan of how he was going to get out of his restraints. She wasn't fending for both their asses.

She could see Tags outside her locker, his hand on the release button. They had chained her wrists behind her when they put her back into her cryolocker, so there was little hope of fighting her way to freedom this time. As soon as the locker door swung open, Kyra was looking down the barrel of a rifle.

So this was the other crewman…

"Get your ass out that door, and don't even think about trying anything. They'll pay the same price for you dead."

Kyra glared, but turned and made her way toward the door of the ship. Behind her she heard Riddick's locker being opened.

Once out of the ship, Kyra turned to glare at the man. Behind him, she could see Tags and Toombs leading a restrained Riddick toward the door. His wrists were chained behind him; the chains around his ankles barely gave him room to walk. His goggles were around his neck, and a piece of black leather had been used to blindfold him. Kyra wondered why they bothered with the metal bit. It wasn't like Riddick was a big talker, and he didn't seem the type to resort to biting anyone.

She watched the two men walk Riddick over to the small sled sitting at the mouth of a tunnel. Tags shoved him onto his stomach and chained his ankles to the rail. Toombs turned and smiled at her.

"Your turn."

The man beside her reached to grab her arm, but she twisted away, walking past Toombs and sitting as far from Riddick as the confines of the sled would allow. Tags gave a snorting laugh and sat down next to Riddick, leaning his rifle against his shoulder. The fat crewman waddled over, his rifle trained on her, as Toombs chained her wrists to the rail. The two men took their seats and Toombs pushed the lever on the panel forward.

The sled picked up speed quickly during their descent into the heart of the slam. Kyra watched the dimly lit tunnel walls flash past as they sped by. She glanced at Riddick. He was the reason she'd been taken from her home; taken away from her surrogate father. He was the source of nearly every bad thing that had ever happened to her. She turned back to watch the tunnel walls.

She was going to give that man hell for what he'd put her through. She was sure of that.


	14. Chapter 11  Crematoria

Authors Note:

Sorry guys. I spent some of my fund to buy beef jerky… I'm down to sixty bucks.

Good news is that I get paid tomorrow. +$100 in the "Buy the rights to Riddick" fund. :D

------------------------------------------------

Kyra was jerked off the sled as soon as the fat man had unchained her. She was spun around to face a dark skinned, bald headed man who reeked of sweat and cheap soap.

"Look what we got here, boss." The man roughly turned her around, a hand fisted in her hair, presenting her to the man inspecting Riddick.

The man glanced up from Riddick, quickly running his eyes over her. He turned to Toombs.

"I'll give you 300 for the girl."

Toombs smirked. "That's not much for a murderer. Especially not from a slam like this."

Alex frowned. "Fine. 3000 for the girl. No slam will pay more than that. She won't last a week anyway."

Toombs nodded and kicked Riddick's boot. "The bounty is one mil. Give me the creds now and we'll even help you unload him."

A shorter man approached Alex.

"Don't take this one." he said nodding to Riddick, "He's trouble. I've heard about him."

Alex nodded. "We'll unload him and then we'll talk business, hm?" He looked at Toombs.

Toombs glared, but he hadn't travelled halfway across the galaxy to turn around and go back. "Fine."

------------------------------------------------------

Toombs watched as Riddick was lowered into the depths of the Crematorian slam. He'd removed the bit and the blindfold, but wrists were still chained.

Alex was sitting behind him at a small table. "My brother, Anatoli, has a nose for trouble… He says this Riddick is trouble. I don't want trouble here."

Toombs took a last glance at Riddick and sat down at the table. "Look. I can take his ass to any other five star slam and get one mil for him. The lowest I'll take from you is 90, and that's because you're taking the girl too. You want to get cheap, and I'll take my murderers somewhere else, okay?"

Alex was unfazed. He'd dealt with mercenaries for years. They were all the same. "My brothers and I have kept this slam operating for years. I don't want it ending because of one mistake." He looked up at Toombs. "I don't want it to bring _them_ here."

Toombs leaned back in the chair. "Them?"

"Yes. Them. The world-enders. It is said that their leader is only half man, and that they will destroy any world that they conquer. They're already in the Helion system."

Toombs shrugged and threw back the vodka Alex offered. "Like I said. 90." He stood and walked out the door to where his two remaining crew members were watching the thermometer.

He glanced at the clicking display. It rose higher and higher… "700 degrees. Fuck." He shook his head.

_That really was one hell of a sunrise._

--------------------------------------------------------

Kyra was led down a dark hallway by the black man and another of the slam guards. She could hear the growling and thrashing of several large animals coming from the dimly lit room at the end of the tunnel.

The black man pulled her into the room and pushed her forward, through the open door of a small empty cage.

He grinned in at her as he slammed the door behind her and fastened the lock. "You'll have a nice time in here while we deal with your friend…"

Both men walked back to the hall, the black man flipping a small lever as they left. She heard the grating of metal and their laughter echoing down the hall. The animal noises were silent.

Kyra kicked the bars in front of her and broke into a stream of profanity.

"Stupid son of a bitch is going to fucking _pay_." She pulled her leg back to kick the bars again, but stopped when she heard a deep growl to her right.

She slowly turned her head and found herself looking into the reflective pools of a monstrous animal.

-----------------------------------------------------

Riddick watched the walls of the slam slowly slide past. He could see the inmates gathering to gawk around him. Some stared at his boots, others eyed his goggles enviously. He looked down, measuring the distance, then clasped his hands around the cable attached to the chains around his wrists. He swung himself up, pulling the cable around his waist. He repeated the action, and then released himself. He dropped to the end of the cable, the momentum snapping the chains on his wrists.

Two scrawny inmates lunged at him as soon as his feet hit the ground. He knocked the first onto his back, and left a huge gash in the side of the second with a small shiv that he'd hidden away under his belt. He tucked the shiv away and started up the narrow spiral stairway that led to the top floor of the slam.

He had a feeling he might find Jack there.


	15. Chapter 12  Feeding Time

Author's Note:

I talked Universal into letting me do a payment plan for the rights to Riddick. $1.6 mil a week for the next sixteen years.

I thought it would be worth it until I realized that I would be paying $1,331,200,000.00 (that's more than one billion dollars) just to say I OWNED Riddick. It didn't mean I got to sleep with him. Hell. Universal even tried to convince me that he isn't even a real person.

Geez. How stupid do they think I am? I know they're hiding him in the basement…

But basically, no, I don't own Riddick or anyone else that you guys know Universal already owns.

--------------------------------------------------------

Kyra threw herself to the opposite corner of the cage in surprise at the sudden apparition of the creature.

The feline-esque creature stuck its muzzle through the bars of her cage, snuffling loudly. Because of the confines of her cage the creature's nose was brushing against her leg. Kyra pulled her legs in tighter, eliciting a snarl from the beast. It brought its head up to glare at her, its spines shaking and shimmering red.

_Those eyes… _Kyra was transfixed. The beast's eyes were reflective, like twin mirrors.

Just like Riddick's.

She leaned forward a little to get a better look at the creature's eyes. They were so beautiful…

SLAM.

Kyra jerked herself back into the corner of the cage as the muzzle rammed itself between the bars, the enormous jaws snapping shut inches in front of her face. She glared as the creature pulled its muzzle free and stalked away, into the confines of its den.

Riddick was going to pay dearly for this.

------------------------------------------------------

Riddick barely noticed the inmates he stalked past. He was too focused on finding Kyra. She could handle herself, sure, but not against six guards that hadn't seen a woman in over a year.

He bounded up the stairs as he reached the top floor and took a quick survey of the top landing. There were no cells here, only two heavy steel doors and a small floor grate.

_No convicts here either… _The Furyan leaned over the railing to see that no convicts occupied the two levels below where he was either. _Strange._

Riddick began descending the stairs when he heard the lock of one of the doors click. He stopped and turned to look at the door. The red light above the door began flashing, and a blaring alarm sounded.

"Feeding Time!"

Riddick slid his goggles up and stared down the dark tunnel revealed behind the door. He could hear prisoners scrambling madly below him.

A low snarl issued from the tunnel, and Riddick could make out the figures of several large animals in the darkness. Two of the creatures darted out of the tunnel, diving down the steep rock face and into the pit of crematoria. The third and last creature exited the tunnel staring directly at Riddick. It moved toward him, its thick hide vibrating and swirling with color.

Riddick smirked and removed his goggles completely. He tilted his head to the side, watching the advancing animal. He'd travelled his whole life and had never seen a creature like this. It must have been engineered specifically for this slam.

The animal stopped a couple yards in front of him and plopped down on its haunches, giving him a haughty look. Its spines were still shivering, and its black skin still had a reddish tint, but it had stopped growling. Riddick slid into a crouch, watching the animal. He could hear the screams of inmates below, so he assumed that these creatures played the same part as the dogs from Butcher Bay… only these guard dogs could disembowel you. That thought prompted a small smirk.

The hellhound slowly rose to its feet, mirrored eyes still trained on the Furyan. It began a slow, weaving advance.

Riddick cursed inwardly. He'd hoped the creature would have lost interest and dove over into the pit like the others. He reached into the waist of his pants and gripped the shiv he had hidden there.

This wouldn't be easy.


	16. Chapter 13  Distraction

Author's Note:

Nope. I still don't own them. Sorry, love.

----------------------------------------------------

Kyra slipped her finger inside the lock on her cage. If she had a thin blade, she might be able to –

She nearly laughed aloud. She slid her hand in her pocket and brought out the forgotten razor. Within moments she was free of the cell and headed down the hallway. Unfortunately things were as she suspected, a heavy door barring the exit. She stalked back into the hellhound kennel, immediately noticing that the creatures were gone.

_There's an exit here somewhere… Although it probably leads deeper into Crematoria_… She smirked. Then she'd be able to find Riddick.

She began searching the cages that lined the walls of the room, finally finding the open door in the back of the largest run; the same run that had been next to her cage. Kyra entered the run, slowly walking toward the open door, silently hoping that the creature wouldn't decide to return before she could get out the door.

She held her breath as she crept toward the exit. She kneeled next to the open door and listened.

Nothing. No crunch of paws on gravel, no growling breathing.

She silently braced herself. She knew that she would have to dart out the door quickly and silently so as not to attract the attention of the hounds. She rose to her feet and tucked the small blade into her cheek. If she ran into trouble, she might find a use for it.

Kyra took a deep breath and leaped out the door-

-to come to a grinding stop at the sight in front of her.

One of the hounds was no more than three yards in front of her, it's backside to her, leaned over a still body.

It hadn't seen or heard her exit, so Kyra quickly backtracked into the cell and peeked back out the door. There was no way she could get past the creature without attracting its notice. There were no cracks or crevices to hide in, and its powerful haunches told her that there was little to no chance of outrunning it. She began to slump back into the cell when a sudden movement caught her eye. The unfortunate victim of the hound was trying to push the beast off of him.

_Good luck with that._ Kyra thought wryly.

But suddenly the beast had leaped off the prisoner. As the prisoner stood, Kyra's mouth dropped open.

_Riddick?_

Sure, Riddick was an excellent fighter. But here he was, unarmed, facing off against 700 pounds of pissed off Hellhound. The beast leaped for Riddick and Kyra turned away.

And then she heard him laughing. _Laughing._

Kyra stuck her head out the door to see the Hellhound pinning Riddick to the ground, it's huge, deadly claws inches from his throat.

And it was nuzzling him.

Kyra's mouth dropped open a second time, this time even farther. Just what the _hell_ was going on here?

That same giant housecat that was out there purring all over Riddick had just tried to force it's way through solid steel to try and eat her alive. What the hell made _Riddick_ so special? As far as she knew, he didn't even _like_ animals.

Kyra peeked around the corner again. Riddick had wormed out from under the creature and was now squatting next to it, patting it roughly on the shoulder. It was looking at him fondly. Almost adoringly. Riddick's goggles and shiv lay several feet away, discarded and forgotten.

She wanted to get out of the hound's cage as soon as possible, but she didn't know how the creature would react if she exited now. Riddick's back was turned to her, so there was little hope of getting his attention without attracting the hellhound too. She slumped against the stone cell wall and waited.

That's all she could do.

---------------------------------------------------

Riddick gave the hellhound another firm thump to the shoulder. Its spines had stopped vibrating, and the swirling color had ceased. The beast's whole body had taken on a metallic black sheen, and a low bubbling noise was escaping between the creature's clenched teeth.

The Furyan knew Kyra was sitting just inside the open door. He also knew that the creatures could be called back to their kennel at any moment. He needed a distraction…

The Hellhound's head snapped up, its lips curling into a snarl and its spines taking on its previous red glow. The bubbling purr was replaced with a throaty growl as it peered over Riddick's shoulder.

Riddick followed the creatures' gaze in time to see a thin man throw himself over the craggy edge, gravel tumbling after him. The quarter-ton animal didn't even spare Riddick a parting glance as it lunged after the unfortunate man, sliding down the steep rock face into the bowels of Crematoria.

Riddick stood, an eyebrow raised, as he watched the creature leap from the wall onto the back of the fleeing man. He turned back to the open door as Kyra stepped into view.

---------------------------------------------------

Kyra stepped out, taking in the fact that Riddick's shiv and goggles were lying only a few feet from where she stood.

Riddick crossed his arms, looking her up and down. "So what was your plan? Wait and see if those creatures were going to eat you or not?"

Kyra glared and stooped to pick up the shiv. She spun it in her palm as she took a step toward Riddick. As her foot touched the ground she gripped the thin blade and threw the blade, forcing all of the momentum of her step into the throw.

Riddick neatly sidestepped the blade, as she expected he would. But she didn't expect to find herself face to face with the convict, his reflective eyes staring down at her. She brought her fist up and felt Riddick's hand encircle her wrist. He brought her hand above her head and shoved her back into the rough rock wall. He leaned against her hips, immobilizing her legs, while his other hand wrenched her other wrist up above her head. He held her there, his free hand pulling a piece of straw out of her hair.

"So what now, Jack?"

Kyra glared. If his free hand got close enough again, she was going to bite one of his fingers off. His massive body effectively immobilized her smaller one. The fact that he had so leisurely disarmed and pinned her irritated her more than the fact that he was still calling her Jack.

"You abandoned me, Riddick. You left me in that sand pit while you went on your merry way to fuck knows where. You were going to let me rot in that –"

Kyra was cut off as Riddick snarled into her face. "Left you? You're fucking right. I left you somewhere safe. _Safe_ isn't anywhere near me." He glared down at her. "I'm the reason you're here right now. Remember?"

Kyra remembered all right. She twisted against him only to receive more pressure on her hips, grinding her back into the rock. Riddick smirked at the look of discomfort that crossed her face. Kyra could feel the razor pressing against her cheek.

"What's next, Riddick? Going for the sweet spot?" She let the edge of the blade show between her lips.

Riddick smirked, releasing her hands and stepping back. He reached down and picked up his goggles, putting them on and adjusting them carefully. "Sweet spot? No. I might need you later."

Kyra glared as he began his descent back down the stairs into Crematoria. She peeked over the edge to see the Hellhounds weaving their way back up a steep rock path opposite the stairwell. She quickly made her way to the stairs, following Riddick at a generous distance.


End file.
